Yale Physician Associate Program

The Yale Physician Associate program accepted its first class in 1971. The mission of the program is to educate individuals to become outstanding clinicians and to foster leaders who will serve their communities and advance the physician assistant profession. The programs founder, Dr Alfred M. Sadler Jr, served as its first director in 1970. Dr. Sadler will return to Cedar Street to deliver the programs commencement address for 2008.

AcademicsCompletion of the rigorous 27 month curriculum results in award of a master's degree. The education is divided into two portions (a didactic and clinical phase). The clinical phase is fifteen months in duration with thirteen one month rotations and two months for research. The faculty of the Yale School of Medicine provides the education, which is coordinated by the Physician Associate program core faculty. The didactic year includes clinical and basic sciences as well as courses in research methods, ethics and physical examination. Yale University requires all graduates to complete an original thesis under the mentorship of the School of Medicine faculty. Many graduates have pursued this research topic through a Yale Downs fellowship. This fellowship provides the student with an opportunity to act out his/her ideas in an international underserved setting. Recently students have been involved with health centers in Uganda.

With the class of 2010 the PA program will begin offerring a joint degree (MMSc/MPH) with the Yale School of Public Health.

InternationalThe PA program keeps with the Yale University global focus and encourages students to study internationally. The program currently has clinical sites in Uganda, Peru, Central America, and the UK.

AdmissionsAcceptance is extremely selective. Several hundred applicants vie for approximately thirty seats. The common application for PA schools is used by Yale. The class of 2010 received close to 400 applications for 36 positions. The average GPA was 3.68 and several of the selected students had accomplished graduate work in other areas.

AlumniAlumni have found their way into influential positions within the healthcare system. Many graduates are in leadership positions in the American Academy of Physician Assistants and Physician Assistant Academics.

Notable Alumni:George S. Bottomley, DVM, PA (Director of Philadelphia College of Optometry PA Division)
Cynthia Booth Lord, MHS, PA (Director of Quinnipiac University PA Program, President Elect AAPA)
John Cavenagh, Ph.D, PA-C (Chairman Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine PA Department)

External links

* [http://www.paprogram.yale.edu Yale University Physician Associate School Home Page]
* [http://info.med.yale.edu/ysm/ysminfo/ Yale University School of Medicine]
* [http://www.aapa.org/aapa/leader.html American Academy of Physician Assistants]
* [http://www.pahx.org/sadlerBio.htm Physician Assistant History Center - Sadler Bio]